Button-blank-grinding machine



Miy 14, 1929. E. c. CARRIS 1,713,257

BUTTON BLANK RINDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 24, 1925 s Sheets-Sheet 1 141 'fiM M/W y 1929. E. c. CARRIS I 1,713,257

' BUTTON BLANK GRINDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 24, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ixgl g siapszg fig 3/ I I r i 62w Q/MZZZ'QQJ;

y ,1929. E,c.,cARR|s 1.713.2 7

BUTTON BLANK GRINDING MACHINE if; 'ti'zvezzl'az 9 M MWWa 6. Larrzlr Mayl 1929. I E. C. CARRIS 13. 5

BUTTON BLANK GRINDING MACHINE Filed D60. 24, 1925 5 Sheets-Shut 4 y 1929. E. c. cARms 1,113,251

BU'IION BLANK GRINDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 24, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 5- ll lllll fa A 'llllllll pl: we

fizve'zzzaz [Ill/2m? Millard 6 farm? 2 g fiwa mz Patented May 14, 1 929.

UNITED STATES PATENT o g cg I EDWARD C. CARRIS, OF WASHINGTON, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO THE TUBING COMPANY, OF WASHINGTON, IOWA.

cARRIs vuuvcrno I BUTTON-BLANK-GRINDING lY [AGHIN E.

Application filed December 24, 1525. Serial No. 77,439.

The object of my invention is to provide a button blank grinding machine especially adapted for usein grinding blanks of irregular outline for forming them into discs circular in outline and of I forming buttons. 7

Still a further objectis to provide a machine wherein blanks of irregular outline will be fed in between spindles andthen engaged and carried to position where the irregular blank will be ground for forming a button blank disk. 7

Still another object is to provide a positioning structure arranged to properly position the irregular blanln'so that it-may'be properly engaged between a pair-of spindles be fore it is carried to grinding position.

Still a further object is to providea dis-z tributor mechanism for feeding a pluralityof pairs of spindles from single hopper. Still a further object is to provide a machine having for thereby determining the diameter of the completed button blank. 7

fed. to position and then. adj usted; so that when the blank is engaged between the pairof spindles, it will be in proper grinding position andso will then be carried upwardly beyondthe positioning structure at whichtime the spindles together with the blank will begin to revolve. p I I Still a further object is to provide a machine in whichthe mechanism is arranged at p 1 an angle of forty-five degreesto horizontal,

sothat the feeding of the blanks from the hopper to grinding position will be by gravity.

Still'a further object is to provide a stauv tionary block and a revolving disk for bringingthe irregular blank into the best grinding position, wherein the largest possible button disk will be ground therefrom. V p

. Still a further object is to provide a means for causing a constant springpressure on the ,upper spindle so that the centered button blank will be securely held between the upper and lower spindle whilebeing ground;

- With these and other objects in view my proper diameter for simple means for adjustment disks and dust.

Figure 12, showingthe grinding position of tion to better illustrate the construction therei of. Figure 2 isa plan view of the top oi the machine looking in the direction of thearrowof-Figure 1. 1 V

Figures 3 and4 are details of theupper ends ofthe upper spindles, Figured being a View taken on the line 44- of Figure 3.

Figures 5 and 6 are'details of the lower. ends of the lower spindles, Figure '6 being a View taken on the line'6..'6 of Figure 5, V

Figure 7 is a sectionalview taken on the line 77 of Figurefl, showing one setof i spindles and the grinding element therefor. Still a further object is to provide a machine wherein the irregular blanks will be tioned.

Figure 11 is a sectional view on theline 11-711of Figure 1, showing the positions of" g the spindles relative to thegrindingelements, as well as thechute for disposing of ground.

' Figure 12 is a diagrammatic view, showing the engaging spindles in position where they are engaging the irregular blank; J

Figure 13 is a diagrammatic View similar to the blank. I p p I Figurel isa diagrammatic'view similarto Figure 12, showing the ground button being released. 7 v a I Figure 15 is a detail view of the blank en gaging ends of the spindles. t Figure 16 is a section on the line 16.16 of Figure 8 showinghow the distributor arms.

are operated. '7

the reference nun'ieral 1t) to indicatea pair of brackets which. supportthe base plate 11 on which the various parts of my button grinding machine are mounted. The base plate 11' is supported at an angle clearly shown in Figure 1..

A feed plate 12 is attached to the base plate 11 perpendicular thereto. The upper cam shaft brackets 13 and the lower cam shaft brackets 14 are also attached to the base plate 11, and the bracket 14 is secured to the supporting bracket 10. i

Rotatably mounted in the brackets 13 is the upper cam shaft 15, and in the brackets 14 is the lower shaft 16.

A. main drive shaft 17 is mounted in bearings 18 of the brackets 10. The shaft 17 is driven by a belt 19 on the drive pulley 20.

For driving the lower cam shaft 16, l provide a pulley 21 on the shaft 17. g r

A belt 22 transmits power to'the pulley 23 on the shaft 24.

A pinion 25 on the shaft 24 is in mesh with 1 the gear 26 on the stub shaft 26*. A pinion 27 secured to the gear 26 is in mesh with the 28 on the lower cam shaft 16. Thus the lower cam shaft 16'is rotated at proper speed which is much slower than the main drive shaft- 17.

Rotation can be imparted to the cam shafts at will by manipulating the belt shifter. 43 which shifts the belt 22 to either the tight pulley 23 or loose pulley 23. 1

On the opposite end of the cam shaft 16 is a sprocket 29. On the cam shaft 15 is a similar sprocket 30. A chain 31 transmits power from the sprocket 25) to the sprocket 30. The

7 two cam shafts thus rotate in unison at the same speed.

r A pair of brackets 32 mounted on the base plate 11 have slidably mounted therein, emery wheel supporting frames 33. For driving the emery wheels 34, a pulley 35 is provided on the shaft of each one.

Mounted on a shaft 36 is a bevel gear 37 in mesh with another bevel gear 38 on the drive shaft 17. The upper end of the shaft 36 I rotatably mounted in, a bearing 89 and a pulley 40 is secured tothe end thereof. A belt 41 alfords operative connectionbetween the pulley 40 and the pulleys 35. An idler 42 is provided between the pulleys 35 and the belt 41 extends from the two pulleys 35 and over this idler.

From the foregoing, it will. be seen that rotary motion can be imparted to the emery wheel 34 by the gears 38 and 37 shaft 36, pulley 40 and belt 41 on the pulleys 35, which speed will be somewhat higher than that of the drive shaft 17. V

The position of the emery wheel 34 may be varied by turning the screw 44, which is threaded into the boss 45 on the frame 33.

A lock nut 46 retains th adjustment.

This allows the griiuling of buttons of various diameters will hereinafter be more fully set forth. Y

Lower spindle.

As there are a. plurality of spindles, I will describe but one.

The lower spindle 47 is slidably and rotatably mounted in bearings 48 on the plate 11. The upper end of the spindle 47'is milled as shown in Figure 15 for gripping the surface of button blank. The lower end has awash er 49 secured thereto by means of a cap screw 50. I

For sliding the spindle 47, I provide an arm 51 mounted between collars 53 on a stationary shaft 52.

An adjustment bar 54 is pivoted in the end of the arm 51 and is held in ustcd position by the opposing action of the adjusting screws 55 and 56.

The spindle 47 is operatively connected to i the arm 51 by an engaging-member 57 having the hooked ends 58, which engage the upper surface of the washer 49. V

A cap screw 59 in the bar rests against the cap screw 50. .This construction allows free rotation of the spindle 47.

The member 57 is pivoted to the bar 54 and has a set screw 60 bearing thereagainst, which allows adjustmentso-that the cap screws 50 and 59 bear against each other at all times.

On the opposite end of the arm 51 is a roller 61in contact with a. oam'62, which contact is maintained by the weight of the spindle 47.

For insuring a positive return of the spin.- dle 47 a return face 63 is provided on the cam 62. i

T ie various positions of'the spindle 47 are shown in Figures 7, 12, 13 and 14.

It is desirable to impart rotation to the spindle 47 before it reaches the emery wheel 34.

A shaft 64 ournaled in bearings 64? on the under side of the base plate is provided for this purpose and is operatively connected to the shaft 24 through the medium of pulleys 65 and 66 and the'belt 67.

A spiral gear 68 on. the shaft 64 is in mesh with aspiral gear 69 loosely mounted on the spindle 47 between the bearing 48and a bifurcated member 70. r

g A finger 71 on the gear 69 extends down along the spindle 47, and through the bifurcated portion of the member 7 0.

An engagement member 72 is secured to the spindle 47. When the spindle 41 has been raised by the arm 51 until the member 72 engages the finger 71, as shown by the dotted lines In F lgure 18, the spindle will start rotating in unison with the gear 69.

U pper spindle.

The upper spindle 7 3 is slidably mounted in bearings 74 on the plate 11. The lower end of the spindle 73 has a hardened point 75 for engaging a button blank at its center of rotation. I V

For sliding the spindle 7 3, I provide an arm 76 pivoted on a shaft 77 between the ears of another arm 7 8.

The ears of the arm 78 are positioned between the collar 79 on the shaft 77 The arm 78 has a roller 80 thereon, which is held-in contact with the cam 81 by a spring 82.

A set screw 84 on thearm' 76 is held in contact with an extension 83 onthe arm 78. The

inafter be more fullyset forth.

set screw 84 is used for adjusting the arm 76 relative to the arm 7 8.

The purpose of this construction will here- There is a. spring 82 and a spring 85 for each arm 7 6 and 78, but I have not illustrated spindlej47 rotating the spindle 7 3.- The spindle 73 is flattenedat 89 forclearing the emery Wheel 34, p v

' 'Blanlc distfibut z'ngmechanism. It is desirable to have but one hopperon a machine and a plurality of spindles. This necessitates provision of a distributing mechanism for alternately feeding blanks from the hopper to the spindles. To accomplish this result, I have provided the following described mechanism.

A hopper 90 is secured to the feed plate 12 and is designed to receive the button blanks 91 to be ground.

Aplate 92, having notches 93 on the periphs ery thereof. is rotatably mounted in the hopper 90 on ashaft94. f

Ashaft94 is operatively connected to the lower cam shaft 16.by means of a bevel gear 95 on the shaft 16, which is in mesh with the bevel gear 96011 the shaft 94 The shaft 94 is coupled to the shaft 94 by a break pin joint comprising the sleeves 97 and 98, wliichhave perforated extensions through which a rod 99 as a common nail maybe inserted.

The perforations may be linedwith a hardened metal so that they will shear the pin 99 if the plate 92 should stick or bind.

It is readily apparent from the forego ing that rotation will be imparted to the plate 92 whenever the cam shaft 16 is rotating. As the plate 92 rotates a blank 91 will fall into each notch 93 when saidnotchis passing beneath the pile of blanks in the hopper 90. The plate 92 is slightly thinner than the blanks 91 so that only one blank can lodge in each notch 93. f A 1 hen the blank has reached the position I A in Figure 8 it-will leave. the notch 93 by gravity and slide downthe feed plate 12. In

plate 12, I provide openings 100 (Figure 8 case dirt'or a blank is lodged in the notch 93 so that it will not be discharged on to the feed I and 101' (Figure 7) j for allowing thedirt or blanks-to fall through the machine on to the floor. i

I For distributing the blanks as they are, I discharged on to the feed plate 12, I provide distributor arms 102, 102?, 102, and 102, which are slidably mounted'ina block 103 on sions'10 1 which extend through the feed plate 12, are slidably mounted in a bracket- 105 secured to the stationary shaft52,-. and

terminate in rollers 106.

The rollers 106 ride on the periphery of cams 107 which are secured to thelower cam shaft 16. f

The cams 107 are so, timed that a blank 91 y will follow the path E (Figure 8) when all the distributing arms are'down. It will fol,-

the feed'plate 12. The arms 102 have eXten-f low the path C when 102.an d 1029 are raised. l It'w'ill follow the path D when 102, .102 and 102 are raised. It will follow? the path E 1 I i when 102 onlyis down, inwhich case itfirst strikes the extension 1080f the arm 102.

'The extension 1 08 has notches 109 for allowing free 102". m

Pockets 110 are formed at the lower ends of the distributing arms to receive the blanks movement'of the arms 102 and 91 until the cams 107 raise them and release the blanks 91.

Blank positioning 01" gauging mechanism. 7

A positioning plate 111 is secured to the loweredge of thefeed plate 12 and thesurfaces of these plates are even, so-that a blank 91 from the plate 12 may slide onto theplate 111. The lower spindle 17 projects through an opening 112 in the platelll.

A positioning block'113 and a guide 111* are/mounted on the plate 111. A positioning disc ll l-is rotatablymounted on theplate 111. The'disc 11 1is secured to a shaft 115 mounted inbearings 116 on the'plate 111. The shaft115 is operatively connected to the shaft 64 by spiral gears 11-7 and 118 best shown in Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings.

The positioning mechanism just described functions in the following manner (Figures 9 and 10). Soon after the lower spindle is brought to position where the finger 71 and the engagement member 72 are engaged, and

the spindle starts to revolve,a blank 91 is spindle, andwill be retained'there until'the top of the spindl 1? falls below the plate 111 when the blank 91 will slide into posi tion against the block 113 (Figure 10). The

rotation of the disc 114 causes the blanks to assume a position where the blanks center of gravity is closest to the centerot the spindle. It maybe mentioned'that the blanks 91 are sometimes irregular in outline and it is de sirable to bring'two of their edges against the block 113 and disc 114 for crowding the button blank to position where it will comk pletely cover the opening 112 in the plate 111. Assuming that the blank 91 is substantially of the outline, as shown in Figure 10, and. has moved by gravity to the position shown in solid lines in that figure, then the button blank ground from the blank 91 would have its lower edge unfinished as this edge would not be within tl1e'grin :ling ra- (has of the periphery of the emery wheel, and

wvould not therefore be a good usable blank,

unless it was re-ground and made into a blank of smaller diameter.

The revolvmg disc 11 1 Wlll cause the blank 7 91 to rotate around because 01" the curved lower edge of the blank 91 and to be shitted untilit is brought to position where its side edges, which are straight, will restagainst the block 113 andv disc'll l, at which time the downwardly extending corner of the blank shown in dotted lines in Figure 10. will prevent further rotation of the blank which in such position will completely cover the opening 112 so that when the. button blank is ground from the blank 91, it will be of the greatest possible diameter and will be pertest.

Practical operation.

The practical operation of my button blank grind ingz machine step by step is as follows: i

T he blanks, which are clam shells cut into squares or blanks are placed in the hopper 90. The clam shells are irregular in outline and havecurved surfaces, so that the blanks 91 will. be irregular in outline.

The blank 91 willjbe released from the pocket 110 and be positioned by the'disk 11 1 over the opening 112. The relative position 01" the spindles is illustrated in Figure 7.

Figure 12, the cam 81 then causes the arm '76 to descendwith the spindlei until the point 7 5 touches the blank 91. Further -move- 85 equal throughout the ascension.

In other words, the extension 83 will remain equidistant from the set screw 84 throughout the axial movement on rise of the spindles and the button blank.

Thespindle 17 will commence rotating be fore the blank 91 reaches the emery wheel Sl because of the engagementofthe member 7 2 with the linger 71, which is constantly rotating whenever the machine is running and the shifter 13 is in proper position. This causes the blank 91'to rotate and be' first ground by the slanting face of the emery wheel 31 and then finished.- by theflat face thereof.

'Figure'l l, the roller 80 engages the low spot 119 on thecam 81 which causes the extension 83 to engage the set screw 84, causing the spindle 7 3 to quickly rise to the position shown. I

The ground blank 91 then falls on the lower spindle into the dust chute-120; In case the blank 91 sticks to the point 7 5 of the spindle "Z3, it will be knockedjofi by striking the chute 120 as. the spindle rises out of the opening 121 which is just'l'ar ge enough to allow passage of the spindle 73.

A similar opening 122 is provided for the lower spindle 17 and is large enough to allow passage of an unground blank.

The spindle 417 then. begins to quickly recede' due to the engagement of the retracting face 63 of the cam 62 and the roller 61 until it as sumes the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 7 The upper spindle 73 follows it down and reniains in a position above the blank 91 while the blank is being positioned. Thiscompletes the cycle which occurs each time the cam shafts and 16 rotate.

Tn the dust chute 120 are partitions 123, oneforeach spindle. Theblanks 91, striking these partitions are precipitated toward the opening 124-. A vacuum line and a separator may be attached tothe opening 1241 for separating the blanks 91 from the dust as is usual in machines of a similar character.

Several of these machines may conveniently beset up to have a common drive shaft 17. The arrangement of the machine at an angle of substantially d5 degrees to the horizontal permit the feeding of the blanks by gravity into proper centering position on the plate 7 The spindle 17 may be adjusted so that it lating the screws 55 and 5G.

will carry a blank 91 just above the emery wheel 34 when in highestposition, by manipu- The tension of the spring 85 may be ad justedby the wi'ngnut 125 for keeping the point of the spindle 73 in contact with the center of the blank '91 and prevent its being dislodged from between the spindle a? and 73 by the emery wheel.

V The set screw 84; is used for adjusting the arm 76 relative to the arm 78 for keeping the extension 83 spaced therefrom during the ascension of the spindles the blank 91. V i

For making different sized button blanks the size of the block 113 anddisk 114: may be changed so that they are farther away from and the grinding of tliecenter of the opening 112.

The grinder 84 is then adjusted by the screw 44 to bring it also farther away from the opening 112.

For slight changes in thesize of the button blanks produced, the emery wheel 34 only may be adjusted; For the larger sized buttons, another spindle 47 may be substituted for the one which is shown, which has a larger reduced portion 126.

Some changes maybe made in the construction and arrangement of the various parts of my invention, without departing from the real spirit and purposeflof my invention,

' and it is my intention to cover by my claims,

any modified forms of structure or use of "mechanical. equivalents, which may be rea- V sonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention: 1. A button blank grindingmachine comprising a frame, a grinding element thereon,

engaging means for bringing a button'blank into grinding position and means for centering the button blank on said engaging means before it is ground, said means for centering the button blank comprising a stationary block and a revolving disk. V g

2, A button blank grinding machine comprising a frame, a grinding element thereon longitudinally movable, spindles for carrying the button blanks into grinding position,

centering means for the button blanks, said centering means comprising 'an inclined plate for the blanks to slide on by gravity, a stationary block and a disk revolving toward said block, said block and disk being positioned on said plate'to act as stops for said blanks as they slide down said plate, said disk in revolving causing the button blank to be crowded toward said block and in alignment with said spindles whereby it will be engaged by said spindles upon their longitudinal movement. y

3. A button blank grinding structure coinrising an inclined feed plate upon which the button blanks may slide by gravity, a rotating grinding element spaced from the surface of said feed plate, a stationary block and a disk mounted on said feedplate for serving as stops for the blanks-asgtliey are fed down saidfeed plate, said disk having one of its side faces positioned against said feed plate whereby the button blank engagesthe peripheral face thereof upon'bein'g stopped tion and means for engaging the blank after being so positioned and moving itto position to be ground by said grinding element.

4:- ln a button blank grinding machine, a

grinding element, a plurality of spindles for carrying blanks to grinding position, an automatic feeding mechanism for feeding blanks nism comprising an inclined feed plate, means for dischz'irgmg blanks, oneat a time,

onto said feed plate at a predetermined posi-. tion, a series of guide elements on said plate each adapted to guide a blank discharged on the plate when the guide element is resting thereagainst, a pocket on the lower end-of each and means for raising said guide elements for -to each pair of spindles, said feeding mechaguide element adapted to receive the'blanks.

successively discharging the blanks received in their pockets and. a stationary block and a revolving disk for positioning each blank before it is engaged between a pair of said spindles.

5. A button grinding'machine of the'character described comprising a grinding element, a pair of blank engaging spindles,

means forfmovingsaid spin'dleslongitudinally for engaging a blank and presenting it to the grinding element, said means comprising a two part arm having engaging portions, spring means to hold said portions together and means for moving one of said arms so that the engaging portions are not in contact for-thereby operating to maintain a substantially uniform resilient pressure of'said spindles on said blank While being moved from the positioning mechanism to the grinding element and while being ground thereby.

6. A button grinding machine of the character described comprising'a grinding element, a button blank positioning mechanism, a pair of blank engaging spindles, means for moving said spindles longitudinally for engaging a] blank after being positioned and presenting it to the grinding element, said means comprising a two part arm having engaging portions, spring means to hold said portions together and means for moving one of said arms so that the engaging portions are not in contact for thereby operating to maintain a substantially uniform resilient pressure of said spindles on said blank while being moved from the positioning mechanism to the grinding element and while being ground thereby, said means operating after H the blank is ground to relieve said tension due to said engaging portions againcoining in (contact. with each other whereby positive movement of one of said spindles away from the other one occurs for releasing said blank.

7. A button grinding machine of the char- ,acter described comprising a grinding element, a button blank positioning mechanism,

a pair of blank engaging spindles for engaging ablank after being positioned and presenting itto the grinding element, an arm for operating one of said spindles for positive longitudinal movement, a two part arm for operating the other of said spindles for longitudinal movement the two parts of said arm having portions adapted to engage each other, means connecting the two parts of said arm whereby one may be moved relative to the other and means for resiliently constraining said parts when so moved, to position where said portions engage.

8. A button grmdmg machine of the cnaracter described comprising a grinding eleme'nt, a pair of blank engaging spindles for engaging a blank and presentlng 1t to the grinding element, an arm for operating one of said spindles for positive longitudinal I movement, a two part arm for operating the other of said spindles for longitudinal inoveinent, said two parts having engaging portions when said parts are in normal. position with respect to each other, a spring connecting said parts together and means for causing said arms to be moved whereby said spindles will engage a button blank with said two partsof one of the arms being moved with relation to each other whereby said engaging portions are separated and said spring constrains said two parts toward their normal position with respect to each other and a substantially uniform pressure is maintained to liold the blank in position between said spinles. i

A j 9. A button blank grinding machine comprising a plurality of grinding elements, a

button blank positioning mechanism for each grinding element, means for engaging said blanks after they are positioned by said mechanisms and moving them to grinding position, means for delivering blanks to said positioning mechanisms successively, said means comprising a guide element for each mechanism,said guide elements being *normally positioned inthe path of travel of said blanks and means for successively moving certain of said guide elements out of said path to thereby leave one predetermined guide element to guide the blank to its respective positioning mechanism. 7

10. A button blank grinding machine comprising a plurality of grinding elements, a

positioning mechanism for each grinding element, a pair of blank engaging spindles for each grinding element, means for moving said spindles longitudinally for engaging a blank and presenting it to the grinding element, said means operating to maintain a substantially uniform resilient pressure of i said spindles on said blank while being moved from the positioningmechanism to the grindingelement and while being ground thereby, said means comprising a pair of engaging members which are spaced from each other during the grinding operation and which engage each other for operating after the blank is ground to relieve said tension and positively move one of said spindles away from the other one and thereby release said blank.

11. A button blank grinding machine comprising a frame, a grinding element thereon,

engaging means for bringing a button blank into grinding position and means for centering the button blank on said engaging means before it is ground, said centering means comprising a stationary block and a revolving disc having certain of their edges adapted to engage a blank, said edges being incline-d V with respect to eachother for forming substantially a pocket to receive said blank.

EDWARD o. CARRIS. 

